1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments herein generally relate to apparatuses for assisting patient movement. In particular, the present invention relates to novel apparatuses for assisting a patient to move to/from a gurney to/from a patient handling system.
2. Description of the Related Art
When undergoing medical imaging procedures, patients often need assistance when moving to/from a patient handling system (“PHS”) to/from a gurney. For example, a patient may need to remain immobile (to prevent further injury or pain), be unconscious, or is bariatric. Regular imaging systems are typically not optimized for bariatric patients. In prior art systems, patients are transferred via sheets or sliding boards. During imaging a patient is secured with straps. Currently the patient has to be transferred across gaps and surface elevation changes. In addition, bariatric patients are bigger, heavier, have more loose body mass and are potentially not ambulant. Bariatric patients often have loose skin that can get pinched during patient positioning or imaging. Wide patients have relatively little lateral support. This lack of lateral support can cause motion artifacts and/or patient rolling on the imaging table. As a result, current systems for moving bariatric patients have a series of problems (e.g., patient transfer, appropriately securing the patient, and positioning the patient during a scan).
FIG. 1 depicts a PHS 100 in accordance with the prior art. The PHS 100 includes a scanning bed 102. The scanning bed 102 includes a scanning bed support 104, a scanning bed flange 106, and a concave bed pallet 108. The scanning bed flange 106 is downwardly angled away from the scanning bed 102. The concave bed pallet 108 cradles a patient 110 lying on the scanning bed 102.
Because of elevation differences between a gurney and the PHS 100 (i.e., the concave bed pallet 108), a surface formed by the transition to/from the PHS 100 to/from the gurney can be difficult. To further complicate matters patient pads used to support the patient during transition buckle.
Therefore there is a need in the art for improved patient transfer to/from a PHS that provides a reduced surface elevation change, wider patient support, greater lateral patient support, reduced patient motion, reduced pinch hazards, and reduced danger due to a patient rolling off of the PHS and/or gurney.